Desperate times may call for desperate measures for some people, and that would include taking money out of your retirement account.

Financial planners advise people to leave retirement accounts alone, but with unemployment at levels not seen since the Great Depression, people may need to access any savings in order to pay the bills.

"That might be a better option than, let's say, maxing out a credit card at a very high interest rate," said Ed Gjertsen, Certified Financial Planner Mack Investment Securities in Chicago.